After a decade of living in Cabo, this is the list I send friends before they land. It’s not trying to be the longest list in town, just the one I actually use.

The established rooms

Flora’s Field Kitchen — Flora Farms, Las Ánimas Bajas. The farm dinner everyone has heard of, and still worth the dirt road. Book early in season. If you haven’t been you need to go, if you have you know it’s worth returning. Great vibe early evening with live music by local artists The Shamans.

Acre — Las Ánimas Bajas. Flora’s quieter neighbor: a palm grove, a long bar, a Green Star for the farm. Close in location to Flora but a different feel and great food and cocktails. Must see.

Comal — Chileno Bay Resort. Modern Mexican over the beach. The one to send someone who wants the resort setting without the resort menu. A great location on a small peninsula jutting into the Sea of Cortez and looking down the coastline to the lights of San José at night. Perhaps dinner, or just a cocktail before heading elsewhere.

Nicksan — Cabo San Lucas and Palmilla. Japanese-Mexican before it was a trend. Thirty years and still the best sushi in Cabo. My family’s only go-to sushi place in Cabo. They have the best fish vendors in town, who follow a regimen set by the owners for cleaning and icing the fish immediately post catch.

El Farallón — Waldorf Astoria Pedregal. Cliffside, catch-of-the-day on ice, champagne terrace before dinner. The special-occasion table. A singular dinner, with the Pacific crashing below you and long views down the coast.

Sunset Monalisa — the Corridor, Cabo San Lucas. The sunset room. Good food, amazing sunsets.

The new chefs worth knowing

Cayao — Four Seasons, Cabo del Sol. Richard Sandoval’s Nikkei room, run night to night by Gino Dávila. Ceviches and tiraditos, Ensenada tuna, the sunset over Punta Ballena. As a family of six we typically order the short rib rice and the beef udon noodles as the foundation and build the appetizers and other entrees depending on what is fresh.

Talay — Montage Los Cabos, Santa María Bay. Thai street food, food-truck style, on the grounds of the Montage. Marc Narongchai, Bangkok-born and Food & Wine Mexico’s best new chef of 2020, grills satay over charcoal and makes a khao soi with crab worth the drive. Began as a pop-up and stayed. Dinner only. Nice change of pace for Cabo. Relaxed atmosphere and great food. Don’t go for the views, there are none, or if it’s hot out, they do not get a breeze.

Límo Heritage Kitchen — Suelo Sur, near downtown San José. Guillermo J. Gómez’s open-fire, farm-to-table kitchen in the art district: blue-corn bread off the grill, yellowtail with coconut aguachile, Berkshire pork. Michelin took notice in its first year. A great addition to the San José food scene with an elegant but rustic vibe all its own.

Lumbre — Downtown San José del Cabo. César Pita cooks everything over live fire in a small, stylish room: grilled bread with bone-marrow butter, a chile relleno rebuilt with scallop chorizo, pork belly in recado negro. Michelin-recommended. Private parking available onsite, which is very convenient for a downtown restaurant.

Clase Azul La Terraza — The Shoppes at Palmilla. The tequila house’s first restaurant, with Jalisco-born creative chef Iván Arias: coastal Mexican on the terrace, a six-seat omakase, and Taste of Culture, a five-course pairing of Clase Azul’s tequilas and mezcals, limited to eight a seating. Elegant but casual, great cocktails and food. Easy to access and there is always parking in high season.

A few places the locals keep coming back to

Señora Cocina — The Shoppes at Palmilla. Owner-chef Juan Pablo Loza ran the kitchens at Las Ventanas, Rosewood Mayakoba and Chileno Bay before opening his own cantina, built around the home cooking of his mother and grandmother. Ceviche verde, barbacoa enchiladas, mole, and a serious mezcal list. Nominated for new restaurant and chef of the year at the 2025 Culinary Awards Los Cabos. A true locals’ favorite with a casual vibe and food on the level of the top restaurants in Cabo. You can’t go wrong any day of the week, but the Sunday BBQ specials can’t be missed, served family style. Eat in or order it for take-out. Cards on the table, Chef Juan Pablo is also my compadre (godfather of my youngest). 

The District — Plaza Península, San José del Cabo. A sports lounge with a real kitchen: the best burger in San José, the coldest draft beer in Baja, and every game on. When expats are missing the U.S. this is where we go for comfort food and atmosphere.

La Lupita — San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. Now-famous tacos and mezcal on the art-walk street in the San José location. Very hard to get a table, so book in advance. If you didn’t book but find yourself in downtown San José ask if they have any seats at the bar before you walk away. Owner David Camhi personally selects the house mezcal, so if you ever want to try it this is the place. Unique serving style that I won’t spoil here. 

Taba BBQ — Finisterra, San José del Cabo. Texas barbecue from Kris Kabush, a Vancouver fine-dining chef who built a custom smoker in San José. Great brisket, smoked chicken, or sliders.  

Coffee and wine

El Wine Shop — three locations: San José del Cabo, Flora Farms, and El Tezal in Cabo San Lucas. A wine shop that is also the best coffee in Los Cabos. Mexican and Napa labels, dozens by the glass, tastings while you wait for your Flora Farms table. Stock the house before guests arrive. Skip Starbucks, this is where you get your morning coffee. You can also get a breakfast burrito if you get there in time, they sell out fast.

The Cellar — Km 24.7, the Corridor. A curated shop for fine wine and spirits, with delivery to the house. Very friendly, knowledgeable staff and a well-run wine shop to grab a bottle for dinner, or to stock up your Cabo home.

Photo credit:
Waldorf Astoria – El Farallón